Apple’s New HomePod Is Leaving Mysterious White Rings On Wood Tables

Apple's new HomePod smart speaker has only been available to buy for less than a week, but the $350 gadget is already making its mark. Quite literally.

Specifically, some users are complaining that the speaker's silicon base is leaving a white ring after being placed on wooden tables.

In a HomePod review on the site Pocket Lint, one user reported that “within 20 minutes the HomePod had caused a white discoloured ring to appear on the wood that some days later has faded, although still hasn't completely disappeared.” The the New York Times-owned review site Wirecutter also noticed a “defined white ring” after placing the speaker on both an oiled butcher-block countertop and a wooden side table. “

A BuzzFeed News employee discovered Wednesday that after five days with the HomePod, a slight ring had formed on her wooden table. An attempt to wipe it away with a cloth was unsuccessful.

Via Nicole Nguyen

The coloration of the ring seems to vary depending on the table and the amount of time the HomePod has been on the surface.

Apple did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News request for comment on the prevalence of the rings.

However, the company did issue guidance to the Wirecutter, which suggests the company is aware of the problem. Specifically, it told Wirecutter that “the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface” and that users should “try cleaning the surface with the manufacturer’s suggested oiling method.”